Combination rack and price tagging device



COMBINATION RACK AND PRICE TAGGING DEVICE David L. Wiids, San Fernando, tiaiif.

Application February 18, 1952, Serial No. 272,117

3 Claims. (Cl. 40-10) This invention relates to price moldings, most frequently encountered on grocery store and the like shelves, and to merchandise, particularly food or container, racks used in connection therewith. More particularly, the invention relates to a new and improved price tagging means in combination with a new and improved molding and improved food container rack, all in combination. The invention furthermore relates to improvement in the individual elements of such combination.

In supplying merchandise, particularly in cans, bottles, or the like, on grocery shelves, the merchandise is often pushed forward from the rear or supply area as it is removed by customers from the front of the shelves.

Where the shelves are refrigerated, they are preferably of open construction to facilitate movement of cold air past the individual containers supported thereon. When the containers sweat, as they frequently do, moisture drips down onto merchandise disposed on a lower level, or onto the floor of. the refrigerator, resulting in excessive accumulations of ice and diminishing the efficiency of the cooling apparatus. Also, some containers, particularly those of metal or glass, tend to freeze to metal racks and are not then easily removed, or slid, as desired.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide new and improved means for overcoming the above stated problems, and to provide a new and improved rack compartment and frame to accomplish the desired purposes.

Storage racks of the character herein described, or those heretofore intended to accomplish generally similar purposes, have been, for the most part, single purpose devices adapted for use on open shelves, for example, but ill-suited in a refrigerated compartment. It is an object of the instant invention to provide a rack of versatile construction capable of use in refrigerated as well as unrefrigerated storage spaces, and designed in each use to provide advantages over prior art devices.

Another difliculty with prior art storage racks is their associated pricing systems and moldings which frequently afford too easy access for intentional alteration by customers or children, or unintentional and accidental dis placement, so that a pricing system once set up must constantly be attended. It is an object of the instant invention to provide a new and improved molding and pricing apparatus by which prices can be more readily set up, altered, or changed entirely, by the management, while preventing accidental alteration and minimizing the possibility of intentional change by unauthorized persons.

Another object of the invention, therefore, is the provision of a new and improved construction and cooperative relationship between the aforesaid rack construction and such pricing system and molding.

It is likewise an object of the invention to provide a single molding for pricing systems, of various sizes, to facilitate their insertion and desired removal, both individually and collectively, optionally together with the whole molding.

This invention has also among its objects the provision of improvements over prior art devices heretofore in- States Patent z tended to accomplish generally similar purposes, alone or in combination.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will appear and be more fully and specifically set forth in the following description when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a combined rack and molding having an integral pricing means embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation view of the structure of Figure 1 as from the left-hand end of said figure.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken as on a line 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but confined to the right-hand portion of said Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated by way of example but not of limitation, a rack generally designated by the numeral 10, having a molding generally designated at 11 releasably secured thereto. Within the molding are pricing tags 12, containing various information and being optionally of various sizes, as will appear.

Referring first to the construction of the rack 10, the same comprises a plurality of substantially inverted T- sections, the arms of which comprise horizontal slats, as 14, 15 and 16. These, and preferably side angles 17 and it are disposed in spaced parallel relationship to one another and are supported at their rearmost ends upon a ack angle 19, and at their foremost end on a front angle 20. g

in a preferred form of the device, the respective slats l t, 15 and 16, the side angles 17 and 18, and the back and front angles 19 and 2b, comprise extrusions of any suitable material, preferably plastic, as, for example, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, or even sufficiently massive rigid vinyl materials, and the respective extruded parts may then be bonded together to form an integral substantially rigid unit.

On the upper surfaces of the lateral extremities of the horizontal merchandise-carrying slats, beads 21 are provided upon which cartons, cans, bottles or other containers, may readily be supported and/or slid longitudinally of said beads. In addition, a substantial trough is thereby provided between the beads and the upstanding legs of said inverted Ts, in which liquids, either spilled, condensed or drained from the containers, may be conducted through openings 22 to a place of disposal, as by means of a drainage system not shown.

The upstanding legs or flanges 23 of the side angles and 2dof said T-shaped slats define between them channels in which the containers, such as 25, may be confined, prefcrably in corresponding rows.

All of the flanges 23 and 24, as may be seen most clearly in Figure 2, are spaced rearwardly from the inner surface of the upstanding flange 26 of the front angle 20. The bead 2'7 at the top of said front angle is disposed rearwardly.

The molding if is of transparent material, such as Celluloid or other cellulosic material or plastic, and preferably comprises a parti-cylindrical or curved front portion 28 and a downwardly directed rear flange 29.

Said flange 29 carries a bead 30 which is adapted to be snapped and slipped into place under the bead 27 and into the space 31 provided between the forward end of the upstanding flanges 23 and 24 and the rearmost surface of the upstanding front flange 26. A wedging contact between such down-turned flange 29 and the forward ends of the flanges 23 and 24 is thereby obtained in the lowermost position of said flange 29 and head 30 relative to said flange 26. Such wedging contact is enhanced, as may be seen most clearly in Figure'2, when parallel thereto and designated at 47 and ll 3 the foremost edge 33 of a conventional wooden shelf, or the like, 34, is pressed against the foot 35 of the molding 11, as when the rack 10, with said molding 11, is pushed to the left, as seen in Figure 2. The molding is thus insertable into the opening 31 by means of the downwardly directed flange 29 for wedged secure-- ment thereto, or is removableby forcing the bead Bill and corresponding down-turned flange 29 upwardly while preferably relieving said Wedging or pinching action by moving the entire molding in a clockwise direction. as seen in Figure 2. This separation is consequently facilitated by pulling the rack 10 forwardly on any shelf 34 on which it may be disposed. However, the inherent flexibility and resilience of the material of which the molding is' made also permits such freeing of the molding from the rack by pressing inwardly upon the face of the molding to increase its radius of curvature.

In like manner the parts may be secured together by forcing the flange 29 downwardly during such inward pressure upon the face of the molding.

The inside of the molding contains inwardly directed longitudinally extending ribs, grooves, or the like, shoulders or abutments 40, 41 and 42, in parallel spaced relationship to one another.

By this arrangement adjacent or confronting edges of the respective ribs define complementary abutments between which and against which corresponding top and bottom edges 43 and 44 of pricing tags or cards may be urged by the inherent resilience and flexibility of said cards which for such purpose are preferably made of 3 any. springy material, including metal, plastic, Celluloid, or the like.

Said cards are individually provided with numerals or legends, or individual letters, and are normally flat.

By placing them individually inside the molding, as illustrated most clearly in dotted outline in Figure 4, and with their upper edges in engagement with the abutment 40, they canbe flexed outwardly by digital pressure, thereby reducing their over-all height until they assume a curvaturewhich, preferably but not necessarily, corresponds substantially to that of the molding, preferably also being curved in the same direction, and locked into place on either the abutment 41 or the abutment 42, depending upon the corresponding preselected height of the respective individual tags.

,Thus, having reference to Figure 2 the card 45 is locked into place at the inside surface of the molding between the abutments 40 and 41.

Having reference to Figures 1 and 4, however, the card or tag 46 is of such length that it is similarly locked into position between the abutmeuts 4i) and 42.

lively. Insertion of a pointed or blunt but in any event elongated element, such as a pencil point or rodlike tuol, through the openings 47 or 48, as the case may be, permits the dislodgment of the corresponding edge of any selected tag.

When said tag has been forced inwardly at such edge sufficiently to clear the adjacent abutment, as for example when the tool 50 has forced the lower edge 44- and the tag 46 out of engagement with the abutment: 42 of Figure 4, said tag 46 will, by its preferred inherent resilience, be flipped out of the molding and reassumc its fiat, or essentially flat, shape, as illustrated in dotted outline at. 49 in said Figure 4. Any corresponding Ward pushing of the tool, e. g. 48, in the arrangement of Figure 2, against the lower edge 44 of the tag 45 would free said tag from its engagement between the abutments 40 and 41.

Manipulation of the tags 45 and 46 also permits their slidabie movement between their respective abutments longitudinally of the'molding as may be desired.

As heretofore noted, engagement of the foot 35 of the molding with the outer edge 33 of the corresponding shelf upon which it may be placed, not only wedges the molding more firmly into non-removable securement with the rack, but likewise prevents access to the interior of the molding for manipulating ancl'moving the respective tags. However, such tags are removable, as indicated, by the insertion of a pointer, or the like, through the respective openings.

It will be apparent that modifications in the number, spacing and arrangement, as well as the particular conl'iguration and structure of the ridges or ribs 40, 41 and 42. the particular curvature or shape of the molding, and the size, number, shape and arrangement of the holes or other openings, slots, or the like, 47 and 43, are within the ability of one skilled in this art, and a wide latitude of such changes or innovations will be apparent and readily occur to such skilled persons from the disclosure herein made.

This invention features the provision of a new and improved rack of improved simplified construction, having new and improved features of structural interrelationship and cooperation, affording production economies and enhancing over-all utility. It likewise feator-es provision of a new and improved interlocking rel 'iouship between a rack of the preferred character described and a molding of new and improved design and structure. In addition, the invention features provision of a newand improvedjfoolproof price-molding construction capable of easy use by unskilled help while reducing possible arguments and errors between buyers and sellers, and mitigating the opportunities for vandalism, practical jokes and tampering, whether by children or adults. The manipulation required for changing, installing or removing any particular price tag or groups thereof is reduced to its simplest form, making the use of this apparatus both facile and convenient.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Iclaim: I

l. A resilient price tag holder comprising a transparent member having two substantially parallel edges and having an arcuate cross section, a substantially vertical supporting flange depending integrally from the upper edge thereof in the direction of a chord of said arc, an elongated ridge on said flange extending toward the concave surface of said transparent member for interlocking with a mating'element on a support member, a first elongated abutment member mounted on the concave surface of said transparent member near the upper edge thereof and parallel to said upper edge, said first abutment member being spaced from the junction of said flange and said upper edge, and at least one additional elongated abutment member mounted on the concave surface of said member spaced from said first abutment member and parallel thereto for receiving a tag and holding said tag in flexed engagement between said abutment members in such a manner that said tag has an arcuate cross section.

2. A mounted price tag holder comprising in combination a mounting member having an elongated recess extending the full length thereof, an elongated ridge on said mounting member extending toward said recess, a resilient transparent member having two substantially parallel edges and having an arcuate cross section, a substantially vertical supporting fiange depending from the upper edge thereof into said recess past said ridge, an elongated ridge on said flange extending toward the concave surface of said transparent member, said second named ridge being below said first named ridge so as to interlock therewith, a first elongated abutment member mounted on the concave surface of said member near the upper edge thereof and par allel to said upper edge, and at least one additional elongated abutment member mounted on the concave surface of said member spaced from said first abutment member and parallel thereto for receiving a tag and holding said tag in flexed engagement between said abutment members in such a manner that said tag has an arcuate cross section.

3. A mounted price tag holder comprising in combination a mounting member having an elongated recess extending the full length thereof, an elongated ridge on said mounting member extending toward said recess, a resilient transparent member having two substantially parallel edges and having an arcuate cross section, a substantially vertical supporting flange depending from the upper edge thereof into said recess past said ridge, an elongated ridge on said flange extending toward the concave surface of said transparent member, said second named lidge being below said first named ridge so as to interlock therewith, a first elongated abutment member mounted on the con cave surface of said member near said upper edge, and a plurality of spaced additional abutment members mounted on the concave surface of said member parallel to said first abutment member for receiving a tag between two of said abutment members and holding said. tag in flexed en, gagement between said two abutment members in such a manner that said tag has an arcuate cross section and is bowed into the concave portion of said member.

References Cited in the tile or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,711,329 Short Apr. 30, 1929 1,776,734 Larch Sept. 23, 1930 2,052,189 Meyer Aug. 25, 1936 2,069,957 Klein Feb. 9, 1937 2,112,821 Wolters Mar. 29, 1938 2,137,822 Gilmore Nov. 22, 1938 2,138,993 Bangs Dec. 6, 1938 2,171,350 Anderson Aug. 29, 1939 2,443,871 Shield June 22, 1948 2,492,912 Womack Dec. 27, 1949 2,527,900 Warmath Oct. 31, 1950 2,547,673 Thomason Apr. 3, 195.1 2,588,635 Junkin Mar. 11, 1952 

